HQ AIF (Middle East)

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Brief History

At the time that 1st Australian Corps was being formed, a separate AIF Admin Headquarters was formed and left for the Middle East in May 1940 on the third convoy. However, due to concern about Italy's entry into the war, the convoy was diverted around the Cape to England. This HQ unit was to become HQ 9th Australian Infantry Division. With its role in Egypt now performed by a separate cell in Corps HQ. In Octobewr 1940 the Admin HQ at Gaza in Palestine comprised four sections - Records, Finance, Audit and Historical Records. In December many of these functions were transferred to a new HQ AIF (ME) Base Area which in May 1941 was renamed HQ AIF (ME), and it then moved to Heliopolis in Egypt, and in April 1942 it moved to Gaza, and then to Kilo 89 during October 1942 before returning to Australia in January 1943.

Unit Personnel

• Edgar Paul Siebner 8 Sep 1942 - 18 Feb 1943

Notes

Content has come from The Unit Guide - Volume 2 - The Australian Army 1939-1945, page 2.016 - Graham R McKenzie-Smith - Big Sky Publishing - 2018